The official site for Mr. Baer's homework

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Americas-To Punish or Forgive

To Punish or Forgive
45 Points
Mr. Baer
These questions must be type written double spaced and be at least 2 paragraphs (12 sentences) in length. Several questions may require a longer response. Please be careful to provide a thorough explanation. These questions will be due 4/26/11 B-Day and 4/27/11 A-Day. DO NOT EXPECT TO BE ABLE TO PRINT them out the day they are due in class. They will be considered late. You will have a 20 point quiz on 4/26/11 B-Day and 4/27/11 A-Day that covers what you would have studied about Reconstruction.
1.Compare Lincoln’s plan for reuniting the nation after the Civil War to the Wade-Davis plan.
2.Describe the circumstances surrounding Lincoln’s assassination.
3.Explain why President Andrew Johnson was unsuccessful in dealing with Congress.
4.State the Provisions of the 14th Amendment and tell how the South reacted to it.
5.Describe the activities of the Freedman’s Bureau.
6.Analyze the myth and reality of Black Reconstruction.
7.Explain why impeachment proceedings took place and what the result was.
8.Describe the scandals and economic crises of the post Civil War period.
9.Define racism and explain its persistence despite the freeing of the slaves and the passage of new civil rights laws, and summarize the decision of Plessy v. Ferguson.

Monday, April 11, 2011

Miracle/Olympic Notes

The Olympic Games
A. Ancient Roots
-1st Olympics 776 BC
-Founder was Oxylos and later continued by Ifitos
-All fighting in the Greek World ceased during games
-Held at sacred site of Olympia
-One event- foot race
-Later became 10 events
-No women as participants or spectators
-The time between two Olympic Games is called an Olympiad (4 years)
-Abolished in 593 AD by Romans as Christianity became official religion of the Roman Empire
-Olympics were viewed as idol worship

B. Revival
- Began in the 1800’s culminating in 1896 in Athens, Greece
- 1st Modern Olympic Games
- French Born Pierrer de Coubertin and Greek Dimitrios Vikelas founders
- At first only amateurs were allowed to compete
- mainly to keep the working class from participating
- Only 13 countries came in 1896 (including USA)
- Winter Olympics started in 1924
- Olympic Flame- symbolizes continuity between ancient and modern games
- Past- sacred flame at the altar of Zeus
- Today - lit at Olympia and carried to host city (1936)
- Olympic Symbol- 5 interlocked rings represents friendship
- 5 rings symbolize five continents at time of modern games

C. Tragedy and Politics
- 1936 Berlin Germany
- Adolf Hitler used the games to showcase his Nazi party
- “master race” was foiled by Jesse Owens
- Terrorism
- 1972 Munich, Germany
- Arab Terrorists attacked Israeli athletes at the Olympic village and killed them
- Protests
- Tommie Smith and John Carlos
- Raised black gloved fist on victory stand as national anthem played
-protested civil rights in US
-Cold War
- USSR vs USA
-Communism vs Capitalism fighting for world domination
- Taken to the playing fields
-USSR not allowed to play until 1952
-Began to immediately dominate winter games

D. National Pride
-1972 USSR wins controversial medal in Basketball
-1960 USA wins hockey gold medal
-Boycott
-1980 US and 50 countries refused to go to games in Moscow
-Protest Russian invasion of Afghanistan
-1984 USSR and 15 Eastern Bloc countries boycotted Olympics in Los Angeles
-3 times in history Olympics were cancelled dues to war
-1916, 1940, 1944

Thursday, April 7, 2011

Government Notes

Election Process:
Primary
• Is not a nominating device
• An election that is held as part of a process by which candidates are chosen
• A preference election
• Different in every state
o Democratizes the election process
o Force would-be nominees to test their candidacies in actual political combat
o Narrows the field
• Caucus
o A group of like-minded individuals who meet to select the candidates they will support in an upcoming election (Iowa)
• Convention
o In the early nineteenth century, a party’s presidential candidate was nominated by a congressional caucus
o Members of Congress from the same party would meet and recommend a nominee
o They chose a nominee and discussed issues that would be a part of their campaign
o Today, conventions perform the following functions:
 1. Formally nominate the president and vice president
 2. Serve as the party’s highest policy making organ
 3. Adopt a party platform
o While the nomination of the president is virtually sewn up by the time the convention is held, the choice for vice president is usually made known at the convention or shortly before
o Delaying the choice of running mate is a commonly used strategy to build public excitement and anticipation for the convention
Electoral College
• The Framers of the Constitution were fearful of direct democracy and the “tyranny of the majority” it might produce
• They truly believed the people were not informed enough to be trusted with electing the president
• They created a complex filtering system known as the electoral college, which was intended to insulate the selection of the president from the whims of the people
• The Electoral College is comprised of “electors”—individuals who cast their vote for their states. Electors are free to cast their vote as they choose.
• The procedure for electing the president is outlined in Article II Section I of the Constitution
• Each state has a number of electoral votes equal to the number of Senators and House members it is eligible to send to Congress
o PA-20
o NY-29
o CA-55
o TX-38
o OH-18
o FL-29
• The total number of electoral votes in the Electoral College is 538—one for each of the 100 Senators and 435 House members plus the 3 allotted for the District of Columbia
• Electors are chosen by the political parties in each state
o When votes cast their ballots in favor of a presidential candidate they are actually voting for the electors of the same party as the candidate
o When a candidate wins the popular vote in a state, he or she wins that state’s electoral votes
o Those votes are formally cast by the electors chosen to represent the winning candidate’s party in each state
o WE DO NOT VOTE FOR THE PRESIDENT…WE VOTE FOR THE ELECTORS WHO IN TURN HOPEFULLY VOTE THE WAY WE WANT THEM TO
o Our vote is called the popular vote
Flaws in the Electoral College
• Ever present threat that the winner of the popular will not win the presidency
• There is no requirement that the electors have to vote for the candidate favored by the popular vote
• Is the distribution of electoral votes fair
• The popular vote winner has failed to win the Presidency 4 times:
o Jackson won but John Adams became pres
o Tilden won but Rutherford Hayes became pres
o Grover Cleveland won, but Harrison became pres
o Al Gore won, but George W. Bush became pres
• It is possible that the race be decided in the House of Representatives
• This happens when neither candidate wins the majority
• This is likely to happen when there is three strong candidates vying for the presidency

The president and his powers assigned to him by the Constitution:
• Commander in Chief of the Armed forces
• Makes treaties
• Receives representatives from foreign countries
• Appoints ambassadors, supreme court justices
• Gives annual state of the union address
• Recommends legislation to Congress
• Convene Congress on extraordinary occasions
• Take care that all laws be faithfully executed
• Fill in administrative vacancies during recesses
• Grant reprieves and pardons for offenses against US

Two Party System
• The United States has almost always had a two party system
• Most Americans support one of the two major parties
There are 4 main reasons for two party system
1. History the fight over ratification of the Constitution led to our first two parties
-Federalists vs Anti-Federalists
2. Tradition our nation started with two parties so people accept system as way that “it has always been”
3. Elections our electoral system helps keep two party system in place. Nearly all elections are in single member districts where voters choose only one winner. Most Americans want their vote to count. So they might ignore a third party candidate for that reason.
4. Consensus The United States is a pluralistic society—one with many different groups. Yet Americans can share a broad consensus or agreement on important matters. Small parties that disagree with major parties do not get much support

The Cabinet
• The president receives advice and assistance in carrying out the responsibilities of the office from his cabinet
• A cabinet is made up of individuals from the executive departments, the vice president, and other important officials
• The purpose of the cabinet is to advise the president on matters relating to the duties of their respective offices
• As the president’s closest and most trusted advisors, members of the cabinet attend weekly meetings with the president
• There are secretaries of
o Agriculture Tom Vilsack
o CommerceGary Locke
o Defense Robert Gates
o EducationArne Duncan
o Energy Steven Chu
o Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius
o Homeland Security Janet Napolitano
o Housing and Urban Development Shaun Donovan
o Interior Ken Salazar
o Labor Hilda Solis
o State Hillary Clinton
o Transportation Ray LaHood
o Treasury Tim Geithner
o Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki
o Attorney General Eric Holder
1. Plans and carries out nations foreign policy state
2. Collects, borrows, and spends money Treasury
3. Manages the armed forces  Defense
4. Manages and protects the nations public lands and natural resources  Interior
5. Assists farmers and consumers of farm products Agriculture
6. Supervises trade and promotes US tourism and business Commerce
7. Is concerned with working conditions and wages of US workers Labor
8. Works for health and well being of all Americans HHS
9. Deals with special needs and problems of cities HUD
10. Manages the nations highways, railroads, airlines, and sea traffic Transportation
11. Provides advice and funding for schools Education
12. Directs services for veterans Veterans Affairs
13. Directs overall energy plan Energy
14. Has all responsibilities of law enforcement  Attorney General
15. Protects US from all internal and external terrorists Homeland Security

Friday, April 1, 2011

Government Link

Differences between Democrats and Republicans:
http://www.diffen.com/difference/democrat_vs_republican